97th CONGRESS

1st Session

S. J. R. 72

Mr. Hayakawa introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States establishing English as the official language of the United States.

Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled (two-thirds of each House concurring therein), That the following article is proposed as an amendment to the Constitution of the United States, which shall be valid to all intents and purposes as part of the Constitution when ratified by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several States within seven years after the date of its submission for ratification:

`Article --

`Section 1. The English language shall be the official language of the United States.

`Section 2. Neither the United States nor any State shall make or enforce any law which requires the use of any language other than English.

`Section 3. This article shall apply to laws, ordinances, regulations, orders, programs, and policies.

`Section 4. No order or decree shall be issued by any court of the United States or of any State requiring that any proceedings, or matters to which this article applies be in any language other than English.

`Section 5. This article shall not prohibit educational instruction in a language other than English as required as a transitional method of making students who use a language other than English proficient in English.

`Section 6. The Congress and the States shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.'